2026/04/06 – 2026/04/19
Korea
- Major Hotel Asset Deals in Seoul Metropolitan Area Lead Q1 Commercial Real Estate Market: Hotel assets drove large-scale deals in Korea’s commercial real estate market in Q1 of this year. According to Dealsite’s Capital Market League Table, three of the eight large transactions exceeding KRW 100 billion that closed in Q1 were hotel-related asset deals. Paradise Sega Sammy acquired the 522-key five-star Grand Hyatt Incheon West Tower from Hanjin Group for KRW 210 billion; NH Nonghyup REITs Management acquired the 319-key Shilla Stay Seodaemun from IGIS Asset Management for KRW 146 billion; and Koramco Asset Management acquired Hotel U5 from Gyesan Industries for KRW 145 billion.
- Expanded Multiple-Entry Visas for Chinese Nationals to Accelerate Inbound Demand Recovery: Effective April 1, 2026, the Korean Embassy in China substantially expanded its multiple-entry visa policy for Chinese nationals. Chinese nationals with prior travel history to Korea are now eligible for five-year multiple-entry visas, while residents of 14 major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, along with executives of companies that have invested over USD 1 million in Korea, may apply for ten-year multiple-entry visas. The measure aims to stimulate repeat visitation, given that the 2025 repeat-visit rate for Chinese travelers to Korea stood at 54.3%, lower than Japan (76.5%) and Thailand (79.2%). This initiative is expected to strengthen Korea’s competitiveness against neighboring Southeast Asian destinations and further broaden the demand base for the hotel market.
APAC
- CREAL Acquires Prince Smart Inn Osaka Yodoyabashi Hotel: Japan’s CREAL Inc. acquired the 312-key Prince Smart Inn Osaka Yodoyabashi Hotel in Osaka through a special purpose company (SPC). The acquisition price was not disclosed. The asset sits on a site of approximately 1,406㎡ with a gross floor area of 12,679㎡ across 19 floors above ground and three basement levels, located within a one-minute walk from Yodoyabashi Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line, offering excellent accessibility to central Osaka’s business district. The deal illustrates how global and domestic investor appetite for Japanese hotel assets is spreading to urban select-service properties, supported by sustained yen weakness and the ongoing tourism recovery.
- SONO Hotels & Resorts Enters Hanoi’s Old Quarter with New City Hotel: On April 16, SONO Hotels & Resorts signed a Hotel Management Agreement (HMA) with Vietnam’s Vinh Minh Urban Construction Investment and announced the launch of “SONO Belle Hanoi Old Quarter” in Hanoi’s Old Quarter district. Scheduled to open in Q4 2026, the 56-key property will be the SONO Belle brand’s first city hotel in Hanoi and a key project in the brand’s Vietnamese expansion. Situated within walking distance of the Hanoi Opera House, luxury boutiques, and heritage landmarks, the hotel’s design will reflect the district’s unique character, where over a millennium of history and culture intersects with contemporary lifestyles.
Americas
- DoveHill Expands Luxury Portfolio with Acquisition of Connecticut’s Mayflower: On April 8, Fort Lauderdale-based real estate investment firm DoveHill announced its acquisition of the Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Collection, located in Washington, Connecticut. Set on a 58-acre property, the 35-key resort is a top-tier asset holding a Forbes 4-Star Spa rating, AAA 4-Diamond designation, and MICHELIN Key accreditation, and has been selected annually among Condé Nast Traveler’s top-ranked properties worldwide since 2017. Auberge will continue to operate the property, and DoveHill’s acquisition strengthens its New England drive-to luxury resort strategy, supported by the recent strong performance of the ultra-luxury segment.
- Hyatt to Convert Austin’s South Congress Hotel into The Standard: Hyatt announced that, through a partnership with Timberline Real Estate Partners, it will convert the existing South Congress Hotel on Austin’s South Congress Avenue into The Standard brand. Scheduled to reopen in spring 2027 as The Standard, Austin, the project marks the first new opening of The Standard brand in the United States in over a decade. The 83-key South Congress Hotel will close beginning in summer 2026, and all 126 employees will be laid off. Hyatt acquired Standard and Bunkhouse in 2024 to expand its lifestyle segment.
Europe
- IHG Expands European Portfolio by Over 25% in Three Years: IHG Hotels & Resorts released its 2025 results at IHIF in Berlin in March, reporting 102 new hotel openings and 117 new contract signings across Europe, as well as the acquisition of Ruby, a European-based premium lifestyle brand. IHG’s European portfolio currently comprises 1,230 operating and pipeline hotels with over 150,000 keys across 40 countries, representing 27% growth over the past three years. Key markets include the UK and Ireland with 404 properties, Germany with 242, France with 84, and Spain with 81. Notably, 84% of keys opened and 61% of contracts signed in Europe in 2025 were conversions, indicating that rebranding of existing assets is driving portfolio growth.
- HVS: European Hotel Values Rose Only 0.2% in 2025: According to HVS, total European hotel asset values grew only 0.2% year-on-year in 2025. HVS cited warfare, shifts in U.S. leadership, and global instability as the primary headwinds, while European lodging demand rose 2.4% year-on-year. Values rose most notably in Copenhagen (+5.9%), Athens (+5.5%), Bucharest (+4.6%), Madrid (+4.0%), and Zurich (+3.7%), while Istanbul (-7.6%), Amsterdam (-5.9%), Frankfurt (-5.0%), and London and Manchester (each -3.4%) declined. HVS warned that continued U.S.-Israeli warfare against Iran could have serious implications for hotel transactions.
